Incubator



June 7, 1932. J, F MaCkAY 1 1,861,746

INUUBATOR `Fg'Llecl Jan. '7, 1928 3 Sheets-,#Sheet 1 WITNESS S INVENTOR.'

Jimzmwmy,

. ATTORNEY J. F. MaCKAY Jung 7, 1932.

INCUBATOR Jan. 7.

Filed INVENTOR:

FMacKw 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 John BY ATToRN MTNEBSES June 7, 1932. L F MacKAY 1,861,746

INGUBATOR Filed Jan. 7, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES INVEN TOR:

i (Taka/FNWI@ m f ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT This invention relates to incubators, more articularly to upright or cabinet incuators wherein a multiplicity of egg trays cated by the arrows IV-IV are arranged in superposed relation, as dising more particularly the m 5; tinguished from the type of incubators in eggs are turned in the tray which individual chambers for the egg trays Fig. V is a sectional are disposed in horizontal sequence. egg trays on a somewhat larger scale.

th an incubator of the Fig. VI is a fragmentary sectional view c type referred to I aim to provide featuring some of the details associated with n); for continuous turbulence of the air, within the egg-turning mechanism. 5J

the incubating chamber, to the avoidance of Fig. VII is a perspective view of one of forced circulation over anyL definite or prethe actuating lug members, scribed course past the eggs in the several fOI use in Connection with t trays, and with preclusion of dead air spaces turning of the eggs in them; and L1 or pockets at the corners of said incubat- Fig. VIII iS a detail sectional ing chamber. In other words, I aim to mainaS indicated by the arrows VIII-VIII in tain the air within the incubator in a state Fg- L and drawn to a larger scale. fof gentle agitation for impingement upon Wlth reference first more especially to the eggs from different directions so that Figs. I, Il, III and IV, it will be observed In connection wi Patented June 7, 1932 IN CUBATOR Application led January 7, 1928. Serial No. 245,077.

Fig. IV is a plan-section at than the preceding illustrati OFFICE J'OHN F. MACKAY, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA a higher plane on, or as indiin Fig. I, showeans whereby the 5 view of one of the which I provide he trays to effect 2Q they are al1 accorded exactly the Same treatthat my improved incubator comprises an enwell as for com carbonized or f ulation, by fres Fig. II is a to Fig'. III is a the lower part indicated by the p plan view of the structure. plan-sectional view through ones are secured at opposite ends to the j amb of the incubator, taken as posts 17. The upper two trays 18a of each arrows III- III in Fig. I, stack are reserved for hatching and are thereand showing the location of the heating fore spaced further apart vertically than the others.

ment; during thc entire incubating period closure `lO of the upright or cabinet type with pre-assurance of timely hatching and Insulated Side Walls 11, 11a, e maximum yield from the batch. bottOIn 13, jointly aordin ject of my invention is tc prcwithin for the purposes of incubation. This or uniform and eflicient heating and Chamber 14 is closed at the front humidiiication a top 12, and a g a chamber 14 the cabinet 10 is 75 ple area to accomvertically-spaced present instance, nged stacks with le from opposite so gh the doors 15, ingly supported g angle guides 19, secured to the side while the inner 65 view taken 60 and back of 7c of the air, Vagitated in the the structure by double doors indicated at manner described within the incubator; as 15, 16, in Figs. I and IV, said doors closing pensativc replacement 0f thc against upright jambs or posts 17 extending oul air, under automatic regfrom the top l2 t0 the bottom 13. AS SllOWn h air from the exterior. in Figs. II, III and IV How the foregoing and other objects and Square in plan and of a advantages may be readily realized in pracmodate a multiplicity o tice will be manifest from the detailed deegg trays 18 grouped, in the scription which follows of the typical eminto four symmetrically-arra bodiment of my invention illustrated in the pairs of such stacks accessib drawings, whereofFig. I is a front elevation Sides of the enclosure throu of the incubator with a portion broken out 16. The trays 18 are slid and in section to show certain details at the upon transversely-extendin whereof the outer ones are walls 11 of the enclosure tom through a duct 30 Extending down through the incubator in the midst of the four tray stacks, is a shaft 20 having journal support at the top of the structure in a bearing 21, and, at the bottom, in a bearing 22. Within the chamber 14 the shaft 20 carries a pair of rotary fans 23, 24, the first of these being disposed immediately below the top 12, and the latter directly above the bottom 13. As shown, the fans 23, 24 are reversely pitched so as to oppose each other and thereby agitate the air for passage through and about the trays without setting up any deinite course of circulation. fans 23, 24 are constantly driven by an electric motor 25, mounted on the topj12 of an incubator structure, through a belt 26." In practice the speed of the fans 23, 24 isso regulated that the agitation induced by them is very gentle with impingement of the air lightly upon the eggs from all directions to the advantage of insuring uniform treatment throughout the period of incubation. rIlie opposing action of the fans 23, 24 is furthei advantageous in that dead air spaces or pochets at the corners of the chamber 14, and round the corresponding portions of the egg trays 18 in the several stacks are effectively avoided.

Fresh air enters the incubator at the botwhich is open at the front of the structure and extendsrrearward for communication `with a, circular opening 31 in the bottom 13.r The freshair is thus conducted to the middle of thelower fan 24 for distribution upward centrally of the tray stackY group in the chamber 14, as well as radially outward toward the sides of said chamber. Incidental to agitation by the fan 24, the air is heated through contact with heating means in the form of a pipe coil 32 (Fig. III) in the bottom of the chamber 14, saidpipe coil having its convolutions in a common horizontall plane and its terminals 33, 34 extending to a suitable heater (not shown) for steam or hot water.

In order to insure provision of the requisite amount of moisture for successful incubation, I place within the freshv air inlet duct 30, a water tray 35 which is heated by an auxiliary pipe coil 36 which may be connected through the leads 36a, 37 to the same heater which serves the coil 32.

Exhaust of the carbonized or foulair from the chamber '14 takes place through outlets 38 located in the top 12 of the cabinet 10, one directly ovei` the center of each of the four tray stacks. Suchr exhaust is automatically controlled, after common practice in this art, bythermostatic regulators of a conventional type, such as comprehensively designated by the numeralv 39 in Figs. I and II. As shown, each of these regulators 39 comprises -a wafer thermostaty 4() (Fig. I) ylocated within the chamber 14, and effective upon a `lever 41, which, at one end carries a damper 42-over Thethe opening 38, and at the other end, a counter balance-weight 43 so as to be responsive immediately to very light changes of temperature within the incubator.

As shown in Figs. IV and V, the trays 18 are of the type embodying a sliiftable egg* turning bottom section 45 constructed of wire mesh with reinforced edges, said section moving over similarly-constructed fixed end-filler pieces 46. Each tray 18 is also equipped at intervals with removable cross bars 47 to prevent bodily movement of the eggs incidental tobeing turned through shifting ofthe bottom section 45-all as well understood in the art. ForI thepurposeofactuating the sliding bottom sections 45of'the trays 18, I provide Alug members 48, one of said members being illustrated in perspective in Fig. VII.

Each, lug member-.4 8ghas a projection 49 depending from an anchorage plate 50 with a number vof upstanding tongues 51 adapted to penetrate the wire meshof the sliding bottomy section 45 ofthe tray 18 and to-be bent over' in opposite directions to securefthe lug-mem# ber 48 in place, as shown inFig. V.

The'mechanism for turning allthe eggs inthe trays 18 at one time includes a pair of' vertical shafts 52, 53 which are located in the intervals between the twotr-ay lstacks at each side of the structure, said shafts having journal bearing top and bottom in beams 54, 55v extending transverselyv of the chamber 14 and above the fans 23,

respectively beneath 24. From FigsI and IV it willbe observed that the shafts 52, 53 are equipped with,-

double arms 56 whose: extremities reach'horizontally outward in opposite directions through he interspaces between the egg trays 18 of contiguous' (with regard to'front and rearv of' the structure) stacks. These arms 56 have their outer ends bifurcated as at 57 (Fig. IV) to engage the depending projections 49 of the lug members 48 on the movable bottom sections 45, ofthe trays 18. Referring again to Figs.v I and IV, it will be noted thatthe shafts 52, 53 are co-'ordinated for concurrent actuation by a coupling'bar 58, which connects a pair of auxiliary arms 59 secured to them. Journaled for rotation in the right hand wall 11a, of the cabinet 10, is a shaft 6() to the outer or protruding end of which is secured a, crank handle 61,. The inner end' of'this shaft 60 isthreaded as at 60a toengage aqfollower 62 having a link connection 63 with the bar 58. By rotating the crank handle 61 in one direction or the other, it will be obvious that, through the variousV interposed' connections just described, the sliding bottom sections 45 of the trays 1.8 will be ycorrespondingly shifted with resultant simultaneous turning of all the eggs in the incubator; those in the hatching trays 18 `being, of course, excepted.

In order to'convert the ordinary eggtrays previouslyreferred to.

ing inserts, such as shown at in Fig. I. The insert 70 is so proportioned as to lit within the frame of a tray 18, so as to be retained in position upon removal of the cross bars 47 As shown, the insert 70 is suiiciently high to act as a barrier and prevent the newly hatched chicks from fallin out of the tray 18.

n the operation of my invention,` the fresh air, as it traverses the duct 30, absorbs moisture given oli from the water in the pan 35'under the action of the heating coil 36. Thus humidiiied, the air enters the chamber 14 by way of the central inlet opening 31 through the bottom 13, and encounters the medial portion of the lower fan 24, being thereby urged in part horizontally outward in all directions in the interval occupied by the fan 24 b-etween the heating coil 32 and the lowermost trays 18 of the several stacks. As a consequence of commingling with the warm atmosphere within the chamber 14 and through contact with the several convolutions of the coil 32 around the opening 31, the incoming air is quickly heated. Under the opposing action of the fans 23, 24 the air is agitated gently so as to pass through and around the trays 18, 18a to the avoidance of air pockets at the corners of the chamber 14. By the consequent vari-directional impingement of the conditioned heated air, upon the eggs, it will be seen that treatment throughout` the incubation period is attended by absolute uniformity with preassurance of a timely hatch and a maximum yield from the batch Linder treatment. There is, of course, a circulation of air induced in the incubator upward from the inlet opening 31, the How being obliged to divide and traverse the several tray stacks enroute to the exhaust outlets 38 in the top 12 of the structure; but such circulation is obviously ineiiiective as regards influence upon the turbulence set up by the fans 23, 24. As a matter of fact, the characteristic action of the fans 23, 24 will, in a regulatory manner, check the circulation of the air upward through the chamber 14, this being particularly true of the upper fan 23 revolving in the horizontal interval between the uppermost trays 18a in the stacks and the top 12 of the incubator. Such regulation is, however, subordinate to that adorded by thermostatic control of the flow through the outlets 38 by the devices 39 in accordance with temperature conditions prevailing within the chamber 14, and as influenced to varying extents by the increasing amount of animal heat contributed by the eggs as incubation progresses. Throughout the incubation period the eggs are periodically turned at regular intervals, after established practice, by turning the crank handle 61 first in one direction and then in the other, as already explained.

Having thus described my invention, claim:

1. An incubator embodying an enclosurev to house a multiplicity of egg traysin symmetrcally-arranged stationary columns, and reversely-pitched fans operative in planes above and below said columns to gently agitate the air within the enclosure for. passage through and about the egg trays to the avoidance of forming air-pockets at the 'corners of the enclosure.

2. An incubator embodying an enclosure 1 to house a multiplicity of egg trays in symmetrically-arranged relatively-spaced stationary columns, and reversely-pitched horizontally-rotating fans respectively abovev and below the columns of trays operative to gently agitate the air outwardly in all directions within the enclosure for passage through and about said trays to the:avoidance of setting up air-pockets at the corners of the enclosure.

3. An incubator embodying an enclosurev to house a multiplicity of egg trays in stationary columns symmetrically-arranged relative to a vertical axis centrally of said columns, reversely-pitched propeller fans concentric with said axis and operative in planes above and below the columns to gently agitate the air in all directions within the enclosure for passage through and about the egg trays without setting up any air-pockets at the corners of said enclosure.

4. An incubator embodying an'enclosure to house a multiplicity of egg trays in stationary columns symmetrically-arranged about a vertical axis centrally of said columns, and reversely-pitched horizontallyrotative fans concentric with said axis above and below said trays operating to gently agitate the air within the enclosure for varidirectional passage through'and about the egg trays without setting up any air-pockets at the corners of the enclosure.

5. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity of egg trays in stationary columns symmetrically-arranged around a vertical axis centrally of said columns, a number of reversely-pitched rotary fans respectively located above and below the stacks and operating in opposition to one another to gently agitate the air in all directions within the enclosure for vari-directional passage through and about the egg trays without setting up any air-pockets at the corners of the enclosure, and means to rotate said fans.

6. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity of vertically-spaced egg trays in symmetrically-arranged stationary stacks, a shaft extending down through the midst of the tray stacks, and horizontallyrotative fans secured to the shaft above and below the trays to agitate the air within the enclosure.

7. An incubator embodying an enclosure to said enclosure bottom of the enclosure,

house a multiplicity of vertically-spaced egg Y trays in perpendicular stacks, said enclosure having an inlet in its bottom admitting fresh a-ir centrally of the tray stack group, and exhaust outlets in its top, one centrally over each tray stack, means for heating the air within the enclosure, reversely-pitched fans on a lcommon shaft for agitating the air within the enclosure, and thermostatic control means to govern flow through the exhaust outlets aforesaid.

9. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity of egg trays in symmetrically-arranged stationary stacks, heating means within the enclosure below said stacks,

' and reversely-pitched fans rotative above and below the trays to agitate the air heated by the heating means horizontally outward in all directions to the avoidance of forming airpockets at the corners of the enclosure.

10. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity Yof vertically-spacca stationary stacks of egg trays symmetricallyarranged relative to a vertical axis centrally of such stacks, said enclosure having a subj cent fresh air duct open at the front of the structure with an inlet centrally of the incubator bottom, and a heating coil with its convolutions around the central air-inlet opening from said subjacent duct and lying in a horizontal plane at the bottom of the enclosure beneath the egg trays.

11. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity of trays verticallyspaced in symmetrically-arranged stacks, having a subjacent fresh air conduit with an inlet opening centrally of the incubator bottom, a heating coil with its convolutions around the fresh air inlet opening and lying in a horizontal plane at the and reverselypitched rotary fans on a vertical axis coincident with that of the opening aforesaid adapted to propel the heated air outward in all directions and one of said fans occupying a horizontal interval between the heating coil and the trays and the other fan being located above the latter.

12. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity of vertically-spaced egg trays in symmetrically-arranged stacks, said enclosure having a subjacent conduit leading to an inlet opening in the incubator' bottom 'to admit fresh air centrally of the tray stack group, a heating coil with its convolutions around the fresh air inlet opening and lying in a horizontal plane at the-bottom and reversely-pitched proa horizontal interval between the heating 4coil and the nethermost trays o f the several stacks with the other fan located above the latter.

13. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity of vertically-spaced egg trays in symmetrically-arranged stacks, inlet opening in its bottom admitting fresh air centrally of said enclosure having an the tray staclr group, and exhaust outlet openings in the top centrally over each stack, a heating coil with its its convolutions around the fresh air inlet and lying in a horizontal plane at the bottom ofthe enclosure, a rotary fan revolving on a vertical axis coincident with that of the opening aforesaid occupying a horizontal interval between the heating coil and the nethermoost trays of the several stacks, and an opposing rotary fan in line with the first and occupying a horizontal interval between the uppermost trays of the stacks and the top of the enclosure.

ll. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity of vertically-spaced egg trays in symmetrically-arranged stationary stacks, said enclosure having an inlet in its bottom admitting fresh air centrally of the tray stack group, reversing-pitched fans respectively abo-ve and below the stacks and rotative on a common axis for agitating the air in all directing to the avoidance of forming dead-air pockets in the enclosure, a horizontal fresh air duct open at one side ofthe incubator and communicating with the inlet aforesaid, a moisture pan in said inlet, and means in said pan whereby the entering fresh air is humidified.

15. An incubator embodying an enclosure shaft coin- IGI) to house a multiplicity of vertically-spaced egg trays in symmetrically-arranged stationary stacks, said enclosure having an inlet in its bottom admitting fresh air centrally of the tray stack group, a horizontal fresh air duct open to one side of the incubator and communicating with the inlet aforesaid, reversely-pitched fans respectively above and below the stacks and rotative on a common axis for agitating the air in all directions'to the avoidance of forming dead-air pockets in the enclosure, a moisture pan in the fresh air duct, and a pipe coil in said pan for heating water therein to effect humidification of the entering fresh air.

16. An incubator embodying an enclosure to house a multiplicity of vertically-spaced egg trays in symmetrically-arranged stationary stacks, said enclosure having an inlet in its bottom admitting fresh air centrally of the tray sta-ck group, reversely-pitched fans respectively above and below the stacks and rotative on a common axis for agitating the au' 1n all directions to the avoidance of forming dead air pockets in the enclosure, a horlzontal pipe coil Within the enclosure having its convolutions around the fresh air inlet and proximate the incubator bottom, a fresh air duct open at one sicle of the incubator and communicating with the inlet, a moisture pan in said fresh air inlet, and an auxiliary pipe coil in said pan to heat the Water therein to effect humidification of the entering fresh air.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 3rd day of January, 1928.

JOHN F. MAGKAY. 

